A series of improvements have opened at Pinhoe rail station to better integrate rail with other sustainable transport options.
The station now has a new northern car park with 14 parking spaces, with some electric vehicle charging points (which should go live by the end of this month) and two additional designated disabled bays.
It also has 12 secure cycle lockers which can be rented (see more details on our Travel Devon webpages). The southern car park features an electric Co Bikes station, enabling people to make the most of the cycle links through quiet residential roads and via the E4 segregated cycle route, which serves the key employment areas east of the motorway.
There is also a taxi bay and a bus bay for a new peak time bus link – Service 43 – between Pinhoe Station, Exeter Science Park, Clyst Honiton (for Lidl/Amazon), SkyPark and Exeter Airport. Special bus fares are available from Pinhoe Station to holders of valid rail tickets. The bus timetable can be viewed via the Stagecoach website or our Travel Devon webpages.
The upgrade of facilities at the station aims to make the most of trains arriving from both London Waterloo and Exeter directions. It provides a range of travel options for people making their onward journeys.
Councillor Andrea Davis, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said:
“These improvements will make the train much more convenient for anyone travelling to work, college or school and will help to reduce carbon emissions. Pinhoe Station is within a mile of thousands of new homes as well as major employment sites such as Exeter Business Park, Exeter Science Park and the Met Office, so these new facilities will be a huge help to thousands of people.”
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Cabinet Member with responsibility for cycling, said:
“These new facilities at Pinhoe Station will help increase the attractiveness of rail for commuters. It’s great to see the improved options to switch to cycle or bus which should encourage people to use sustainable travel for the first or last leg of their journey, either using the Co-Bikes or their personal bikes stored in the secure lockers. With the County Council having expanded its cycle network in recent years with safer, higher quality routes connecting to jobs in East Devon, it should be a really attractive option for commuters.”
Councillor Tracy Adams, County Councillor for Pinhoe and Mincinglake, said:
“I know many local residents want to use more sustainable travel and ensuring bus services and cycling facilities are integrated with train services is a welcome addition to Pinhoe, which has many new homes and businesses. There are also advanced plans to build a Community Hub alongside this site, with a café and changing facilities, which will encourage further use of these fantastic new services and promote greener travel.”
The project has been part grant funded by the South Western Railway (SWR) Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF), which supports projects with a community benefit or that address an area of need across the SWR network.
Andrew Ardley, Regional Development Manager at South Western Railway, said: “Rail travel is one of the most sustainable mass transport options and SWR is delighted that the improvements at Pinhoe station put the focus on more sustainable methods of onward travel. We’re especially pleased with the Co-Bikes docking station, which joins others on our network at Cranbrook, Exeter Central and Exeter St Davids stations, as these are a great option for shorter journeys from the station to local employment and education sites which increasingly have docking stations themselves. The new bus link offers a great opportunity to link customers with Exeter Airport and local businesses to complement the bikes.
“The number of customers travelling to and from Pinhoe has increased rapidly over the last few years. We look forward to working with local businesses, Co Bikes, Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership and Devon County Council to really promote the opportunities the improved interchange offers staff and residents.”
Pinhoe Station is currently served by hourly trains on the West of England mainline between Exeter and London Waterloo with additional services in peak periods.
There are already Co Bikes stations at the Science Park Park & Change and outside the main Science Park building.
Helen Scholes, marketing and partnerships manager at Co Bikes, commented: “I’m delighted to launch another rail / bike share connection on our network. Rail and bike share are natural bedfellows, helping train users reach their final destinations quickly and sustainably. Our new e-bike station at Pinhoe is a key part of our growing east of Exeter network and will shortly be joined by stations at Honiton Road Park & Ride, Exeter Airport and Skypark.”
For more information on renting a bike locker visit our Travel Devon webpages.